HP's Sprout is a 23" 1080p touchscreen all-in-one PC powered by a Core-i7 4790S and a GT 745A, fairly run of the mill as far as that form factor goes, but it also includes the so called HP Illuminator. That device is part of the stand and sits above the top of the screen, it has a DLP projector paired with an Intel RealSense 3D camera as well as a more traditional 14.6MP camera. The DLP projector is used to project a virtual workspace onto a 20-point capacitive touch mat placed in in front of the Sprout, not only increasing the area you have to work in but offering some unique interface options.

With the RealSense camera you can easily scan 3D objects and save them as .obj files which makes the partnership with Dremel make more sense, scan a real life object and then start printing it from their 3D printer, the Idea Creator. The touch mat will also work with the Adonit Jot Pro stylus included with the system for those who prefer to use one when creating and can also help with creating in so called blended reality. MAKE has a video of the device that will have you making 3D objects like you were a Dimac master named Barry. For our overseas readers, if you happen to have an HP store somewhere near you then you can pop in and try the Sprout to see if it is as impressive as it sounds.

"It’s a powerful concept, and today at MakerCon, HP’s Sprout division (a MakerCon and Maker Faire sponsor) announced a partnership with Dremel to help move toward a full-cycle approach. Dremel’s 3D printer, the thousand-dollar Idea Builder, was featured in Make:‘s 3D printing issue last year, and performed well."

If you have a few 3D objects that you would like to make physical, it might not make sense to purchase a whole MakerBot Replicator or equivalent device. To print, fax, and copy shops, the third dimension seemed like a natural extension to their business model (because it literally an upward extension on their previous service).

One such retailer is The UPS Store, and they just announced that their six-location test was successful. They are now expanding to "nearly 100 additional locations nationwide". Their "Find a Location" page currently lists 45 locations which, I assume, will be appended as more stores setup with the required hardware and training.

Unfortunately, being Canadian, I cannot utilize any of these yet. I could see this being mostly useful, for me, if I wanted to print out an original 3D figurine or sculpture as a gift. Others could make replacement parts and so forth.

3D printers have become much cheaper in the last couple of years with big pushes from systems like MakerBot to bring 3D printers to the home. Those printers are much cheaper than previous designs, but are still into the thousands of dollars. A new company called WobbleWorks has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new 3D printing pen–called the 3Doodler–that costs a mere $75. Resembling a hot glue gun, the 3Doodler can melt ABS or PLA plastic and allows users to draw plastic parts on surfaces or even in three dimensions.

The 3Doodler pen measures 180mm x 24mm and weighs approximately 200 grams. Up to 2ft of 3mm ABS or PLA plastic can be fed into the pen, where the tip heats up to 270°C to melt the plastic. It has two temperature settings and two speed settings that allow it to use either ABS or PLA plastic and feed it through slowly for intricate drawings or faster for filling in areas (like bases for figures and 3D models).

The Kickstarter campaign has a goal of $30,000, but it has blown past that goal with current contributions of $207,734 and 33 days remaining. Needless to say, it has been much more popular than WobbleWorks expected!

The designers have teamed up with a couple of Etsy artists to showcase what the 3Doodler pen is capable of. So far, they have created wire-frame artwork and miniature 3D animal figures. The WobbleWorks team has also created stencils for putting together an Eiffel Tower replica. The Eiffel tower is created by drawing out the various pieces on paper, and then welding them together with more plastic to assemble them into a 3D model. The designers further claim that the pen is capable of drawing in the air, provided you have the patience and steady hand to do so.

As of now, the 3Doodler is expected to launch sometime in October 2013. No word yet on retail availability or price, but if you want a 3D printing pen, you can get in on the Kickstarter for $75 and get a free pen if it launches.